Tampa Bay Bucs' Dirk Koetter: Stafford comments 'said in jest'

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter talks to quarterback Jameis Winston during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)(Photo: The Associated Press)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said comments that he made to Detroit reporters Wednesday about going after Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's injured right hand were "said in jest."

"We would never go after any player," Koetter told reporters in Tampa on Thursday, via the Tampa Bay Times. "If you read that whole thing, it was said in jest followed up by about a 10-minute oration on how tough of a player Matthew Stafford is, which is easy for anybody to see."

"One thing I’m so impressed with on him, on Matthew, is his toughness," Koetter said. "He’s taken a lot of hits. What was it either a week or two ago when he got his ankle rolled up on, I guess maybe that was even on Thanksgiving. It looked like he wouldn’t be able to come back from that and he was back out there the next series. Yeah, I would never question his toughness. I’m sure if there’s any way possible that he’ll be out there."

Lions coach Jim Caldwell said Thursday that he did not think Koetter's comments were meant to be taken seriously.